31 August 2023
With consideration for the environmental impact of boats a growing concern among yacht builders, the yachting industry and boaters in general, moves toward a more sustainable industry are gathering pace.
The Monaco Yacht Show (MYS) – the annual September gathering that offers visitors the largest display of superyachts anywhere on the planet – is taking the topic of sustainability seriously and has just announced that the Sustainability Hub will return in 2023.
The hub serves as an incubator for innovative and eco-friendly solutions, showcasing companies specialising in sustainable technologies aimed at reducing the environmental impact of superyachts.
The selection process for the hub’s participants is carried out in collaboration with the Water Revolution Foundation, ensuring that only eligible companies with genuine and viable sustainable solutions are included. It provides a platform for both established companies offering sustainable alternatives and budding start-ups seeking to make a mark in the industry with their forward-thinking ideas.
The creation of the Sustainability Hub aligns with the Monaco Yacht Show’s longstanding commitment to an ecofriendly approach. Over the years, the show has played an active role in raising environmental awareness within the Monégasque and international yachting community.
“The Monaco Yacht Show has been at the forefront of raising environmental awareness since joining the Carbon Neutral program in 2005,” says Gaëlle Tallarida, Managing Director of MYS. “Our pioneering approach to sustainability led to the establishment of the Sustainability Hub last year. As one of the industry’s major voices, we fully embrace our social responsibility.
“This dedicated area for eco-friendly yachting alternatives is part of our extended sustainability program, which encompasses the entire show’s logistics and layout here in the port of Monaco. We aim to support exhibitors, service providers and visitors in finding viable solutions to environmental challenges.”
For Robert Van Tol, Executive Director of the Water Revolution Foundation, the return of the Sustainability Hub serves as confirmation of the growing momentum in yachting.
“Ever more important is the proof of environmental credentials claimed,” he notes. “The show has been supportive of the vetting criteria, demonstrating its leading position in the field and utilising our expertise in sustainability.
“The hub is designed to showcase technologies that bring concrete improvements to the world of yachting, including the health of the oceans. We’re committed to finding, verifying, promoting and rewarding sustainable solutions – and driving the necessary change.”
MYS also announced a partnership with Siemens Energy, which will sponsor the Sustainability Hub. The collaboration, says MYS, offers a unique opportunity for the yachting industry to discuss the integration of sustainable energy sources and clean fuels.
The Monaco Yacht Show has also unveiled its plan for carbon neutrality following a webinar with show exhibitors and suppliers in June. The presentation, which outlined the show’s three-phase transition plan, was hosted by the Monaco Yacht Show and the auditing agency Nadeis which supports the show in its sustainability initiatives.
As part of the plan, the Monaco Yacht Show analysed extensive data collected from visitors, exhibitors, service providers and yacht captains during last year’s show.
The figures suggested that the refrigerants used in the show’s air-conditioning systems amounted to 48.5 tons of emissions, and electricity 2.4 tons. Indirect emissions from exhibitors, suppliers, waste and transportation were also calculated. The data showed employees contribute 1 ton, which is equivalent to 190 round trips from Paris to Bordeaux by train.
Visitors generate 6,608 tons, equivalent to 6,600 round trips from Paris to New York by air. Waste amounts to 5 tons, equivalent to 44,000 plastic cups. Service providers contribute 39 tons, equivalent to 741 years of power consumption of a TV. Exhibitors generate 77 tons, equivalent to driving 620,000 kilometres in a diesel car.
MYS emphasised the importance of collaborating with partners, suppliers and customers to reduce its carbon footprint, highlighting the benefits of calculating and managing the footprint of events.
Its plan includes reducing CO2 emissions of the show by 60 percent by 2025 compared to 2022, and aligns with the Principality of Monaco’s low-carbon trajectory and aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.